Answers

Sorry the updates are slow, but family comes first. We recently had some scares, and so my mind wasn't into writing. Here is the next chapter, and a heads up. 'Starting Over' is close to being wrapped up, and I will be taking a break from Spider-Man afterwards. I have been getting requests to write several other genres and I feel that I owe them. So, I will do just that. I am willing to write a sequel once this is finished, but I need to know you all want it. In other words, start sending me 'yeas' or 'nays' on a sequel. Til then, enjoy.

-N

"Then if you want to know," Peter watched as she swept her hand over the flames, and they seemed to burn out. The light going from the single spot to the walls, giving a soft glow. "Follow me." She turned on her heel, and started to walk. He followed her, anger still ringing in his ears, but relief that he would finally know what she was. "As I told you before, I am complicated." His step quickened, and as he fell in step with her, he took a moment to really examine her.

To Peter, she stood five foot two, maybe three. Her face, he couldn't tell; even though there was none, she was still hidden in the shadows. The only thing her saw were her eyes. All the other times, he had just guessed that she was facing him, now, he saw those eyes. Solid orbs, almost liquid in appearance, gave off an eerie yellow glow. Her figure though, that was something that he could appreciate. Her curves, they seemed to resemble Felicia, if not surpassed her body. He wondered if he touched her, would his hand pass through, or feel flesh. Get your mind out of the gutter Parker.

"I hope you don't mind," he raised his eyes to hers, and saw those eyes, almost flickering in amusement. "You always did find Felicia attractive, and I simply decided to copy, and," she waved a hand over herself. "Upgrade myself to her form, when I was strong enough to create a body."

"Wait, what?" She gave a laugh then, and the cave around him seemed to glow brighter.

"You're right, I'm getting ahead of myself. The best place to start is at the beginning." They walked in silence, until her hand shout out in front of him, stopping him. "Do you recognize this woman?"

Peter raised his face to the wall, and let out a low growl. While she kept telling him that what she did was in his, and the world's best interests, he always did feel like she was just playing with him. She was always sitting in that damn chair, talking to him in that condescending tone of voice, treating him as if he were a child. He remembered the one time he saw the woman's eyes, how they made his skin crawl, deep set and jaundiced. Yeah, she was hell, and probably one of the most powerful beings he had ever met.

"Madame Web, what about her?" Alpha laughed again, and raised her hand, almost lovingly stroking the image on the stone.

"Her people were the ones that gave me life, I can still remember it well. Being created in a flash of light, and then she stood there. Yeah that's right, there was a time when she did more than just sit and tell riddles." He felt her gaze on him, and Peter only nodded.

"She told me that a time would come when there would be a battle between good and evil. That I would be needed to influence the good. She told me that I was Alpha, the first and the last of my kind. That I was her crowning achievement to the galaxy. That she cared for me, and was essentially, my mother, but that I would also need to leave. I didn't understand why she wanted me to leave, but I did anyway. Another flash of light, and I found myself here, on Earth."

They left the wall, and continued to walk. Eventually, they came to another. It was covered by a woman. She appeared to be only thirteen, and masses kneeled before her. She sat on a throne, and her eyes glowed yellow. "When I came here, I was weak, I learned then that I needed a vessel to survive. That child there," she pointed to the girl. "Just happened to be the closest thing, and when I took her, I knew all that she did." The hand closed into a fist and struck the stone, causing the wall to shudder and crack.

"She had spent her life being beaten and abused by her family, being treated little more then a slave. But when I joined with her, others thought she had become a Goddess. They spoke her name with relevance, and treated the child like a queen. Until they decided that she had grown too powerful." Alpha turned abruptly and walked away. Peter had to sprint to keep up. Granted, this all seemed like a lie, but it was a good one, and he wanted to se just how far it went.

"What happened to the girl?" As she walked, Alpha raised a hand to a shadowed image. Peter couldn't see it clearly, but could make out a form surrounded by flames.

"What happens to every being that people grow to hate then fear? She was condemned to die, and as they laid her body in an unmarked grave, I was left to find another host. This went on for centuries. I would find someone, help them become the best they could be, become a beacon of good for their people, only to watch them become feared, hated, and ultimately killed by the one's they had protected."

They soon came to a wall that showed a stone tomb. From what Peter could tell, it looked as if it were Greek, but he couldn't be sure. All he knew was that it was solid. "Eventually, after watching countless people die because of me, I grew tired of it all, and simple fell asleep. I was content to just lie in some hole for all eternity. Let my body dry up and fade away, screw my mission. If all I brought was misery and death, then how could I be a force for good?" She turned her gaze to Peter, and he found that he could only nod. It was kind of sad, even if it was just a really fancy lie.

"Well, eventually, I did die, and BAM, I was standing in front of Mother. God was she pissed. She spend years screaming at me and chewing my ass out, telling me that I couldn't forsake my destiny. That no matter what happened, I couldn't walk away from that. You know what I mean?"

"I follow, but what is the point of all this? Why am I getting to hear your life story?"

"You wanted to know what I was, so I am telling you. Were you expecting a quick ten second story?" She stopped to stare at him, and Peter felt his face flush. How was it that a woman, with just a pair of eyes, could appear so intimidating. "I'll take your silence as a yes, but anyway, back to my story."

"Mother was furious that I had given up, but I explained to her that I couldn't do it anymore. How could she expect me to do good when all I had seen was evil? That was when I saw first hand how cruel Mother could be. She told me that I didn't even know what evil was, but that I would learn, and grow to despise it."

"She did something to me then, she told me that I was going to be a mother myself. My child would be a part of me, and that it would be blank compared to me. It would know nothing of emotions, of right and wrong, that it would be up to me to teach it and protect it. Naturally, like any other parent, I felt that I would be perfect. That I would be nothing like my own mother was. How pathetic is that?"

They were now staring at a picture of himself in the black suit. He remembered how everything he did felt better than it had before. How each punch thrown, every web swing, every step he ever took felt like it was the most incredible thing he had ever done.

"Eventually though, I realized exactly what my Mother had done to me. I realized that my child was addicted to what he was experiencing. I tried to stop him, but all he did was strip me of my powers until I was barely alive. I was forced to seek refuge in you, outside of myself. All I could do was watch as he took you over, filling your thoughts with what he desired. Anger, Pain, Violence, everything he craved, he forced you to feel and cause. Eventually though, I got strong enough to open your eyes."

They had moved on to an image of him in the clock tower, of when he had stripped himself of Venom.

"After you had forced my son out of your mind and body, I was weak. All I could do was draw strength from you, and hope your other didn't realize I was there."

"My other?" She nodded, and walked down yet another hall. They reached an open cavern, and she gestured with a hand for him to look up. Peter felt his jaw drop. He could see a large cocoon of webbing secured to the ceiling, just barely visible in the shadows. It appeared to be at least fifty feet long, and almost as wide in the middle. As he stared, he noticed the webbing was almost black, and that whatever was covered, was still alive. It appeared to struggle, but unable to break its bindings. He brought his eyes down to the woman, who stood with her hands together, as if she suddenly felt shy.

"Peter Parker, I give you, your Other." The cocoon shuddered then, and it slammed itself against the ceiling, causing the entire room to shake.

"What is it?"

"When I first appeared with my son, we stuck to the shadows. It was constantly roaming, giving itself free reign of your mind. It didn't seem to want to control you, but was more concerned on giving you power. When you became that monster, that was because of him. He was content to just keep giving you power, regardless of what you became. He wanted you to be powerful, and he was going to get his way no matter what. But when He found out I was here, and my game plan for you, He became obsessed with destroying me."

"I already told you that I was weak, and with him roaming around, I was constantly forced to hide from him. But eventually, I got strong enough to bring him down. We eventually came to an understanding that I was going to be in charge. Sadly though, he didn't like that idea, so I.." She trailed off then, and again waved her hand to the ceiling.

"So, what is he then?"

"Near as I can tell, he has been here since you got your gifts. He calls himself "The Spider", but I have no idea what that means. All I know is that he wanted to kill me, and that he was more than happy to destroy your humanity. The only reason he is still alive is because I wasn't sure what would happen to you if I destroyed him." Peter nodded, again staring at the bundle secured above them.

"Okay, we have established what you are, what that is, but not why you are here. So far, you have basically admitted to me that you are a symbiote, and that you are responsible for countless people dying over time. So explain to me again why I shouldn't be worried that you are floating around inside my head?" Peter watched as she gave a huff, and threw her hair back in a way that was much too close to Felicia.

"I am here because I couldn't have left even if I wanted to. When you forced my son out of your body, he took everything I had with him. I was barely alive, barely a thought inside your mind. It took me months to just get enough strength to explore your mind. When my mother found you, I thought that she would take me back. I thought that she would realize what had happened, and free me from you. But then I realized that she couldn't even sense me inside you. I wasn't disappointed though. In my mind, that meant a chance at a new beginning."

"I had a chance to truly do what I was meant to do. I could help you become all that you were meant to be. The ultimate hero. When my mother sent you hopping through dimensions, why do you think you didn't trust your copy with the extra arms. I knew what he would become, and was giving you a heads up about him. That was a you that didn't have me as an influence. His mutation continued until it consumed him completely. In his world, he is feared and hunted down. When he finally dies, it will be a blessing for him. But, back to you.

"I have been with you, guiding you along your path quietly. I would spend most of my time among your thoughts, around what you wanted and trying to help you get your desires. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy."

"But I was happy, with Mary Jane."

"True, but eventually, she started to get to you. You knew that she wasn't making you happy anymore, and before you deny it, remember that I live inside your head. Oh, and while I'm thinking of it, you have one dirty mind when it comes to Felicia."

Peter felt himself blush, and turned away from the woman in front of him. "I have no idea what your talking about."

"Please," she gave a laugh, and again, he was reminded of Felicia. "I hung out for over a year with your Id, I knew exactly what and who you wanted." She looked directly at him, and he would swear those eyes were smirking. "Incidentally, you should let him out more often, I could barely walk after what he did to me the first time I ran into him."

"Enough! I don't need to know what happened. But do you have to keep acting like Felicia? Even you have to admit, it is a little creepy." She nodded, and watched as her stance relaxed and her crossed arms fell to her sides. Thinking about what she said, Peter's mind stopped, suddenly a question surfaced.

"So, was it you that made me want to stop being with MJ?"

"I did nothing that a little introspection wouldn't have done. You spent your whole life chasing that redhead, and when you finally got her, you found it to be lacking. But you are a good man, and even though you weren't completely happy, you were willing to stick it out. All I did was just give you a little push in the direction to what you really wanted."

"What about what happened with me and Felicia?"

"You mean that little love bite?" He nodded, and she laughed. "Well, like I said, you don't let your Id out enough. I just pushed you until you let him out to play. He always did want Felicia for his own. By you putting your mark on her, it simply let his know that he had accomplished something. Now, any man who looks at her when you're around knows that she is yours. Besides, she got you just as good as you got her."

Peter barked out a laugh. "Okay, so, you were just helping me, but why have I been so, 'tough', on people lately? Normally, if I would have done anything like I have in the past few weeks, I would be in a bottle trying to figure out if I should really keep doing this. And yet, I haven't lost any sleep over it, and I have actually found myself enjoying what I have done. Why?"

"I have just helped you realize what needed to be done. I showed you that sometimes you have to step across that line and do what has to be done. And anyway, has anything bad really happened? Crime has gone down, and the woman you care about is safe. Sure, one man is dead, probably two, but is the world really hurting since they're gone?"

"I guess no-, wait, two?"

"You threw Bulls Eye back to his boss, broken and defeated. In all the time times you have faced him, have you ever known Wilson Fisk to forgive failure, especially when it involves you?"

"I suppose not."

"Exactly, and besides, I can even do for you what big and ugly up there can't."

"Excuse me?" She turned to face him. He watched as her eyes widened, and she shook her head, almost in pity.

"You mean besides the fact that I helped you pull a five foot piece of rebar out of your head. I don't really know. Like I said before, when you forced my son from you, all that was left of me was a thought. I had to bond myself to you completely, and I have never truly done something like that before. That has made me a part of you, and what that means, I do not know. All I know is that we'll find out more in time."

"Are you saying that you didn't know if you could save me?"

"All that matters is that you're alive." Peter was reeling. It was bad enough that she was saying that she was a part of him, but now she was saying that she didn't even know if she could have saved him when she did. Watching her though, his mind drifted back to the woman he cared most about.

"Should I tell Felicia about," he waved his arms from her to the Other and the area around them. "You?"

"That is up to you. I think she is open enough to accept this, but don't be surprised if she is a little distant. I mean, how would you feel if someone told you they have a several thousand year old thing living inside their head?" Peter fell to his knees, staring into nothing. He knew that she was right. Felicia could tolerate a lot, but even he knew that she had her limits.

He felt Alpha then at his side, her hand on his shoulder in an almost soothing manner. "You'll do what you think is right. Just think on it." She rose then and began to walk away. "Just remember, whatever you do, I'll always be here to talk to."

Peter felt himself suddenly back in his bed with Felicia, and pulled her tight against him. He knew that she should know, if only a little bit of it. She had to know that what happened tonight may be a repeat event. He could die, and come back again. She had to know that he might be changing, and that she shouldn't be worried, that he would be able to handle it.

Felicia woke to Peter pulling her closer to him, and it made her smile. Sure, in public he acted the nerd, uncomfortable around women, and quiet. But the moment they were alone, or in his 'working clothes', he turned into a different man. He became smooth and a womanizer. The kind of man that could make a woman want to chase him all around town, which she had done several times already. She still remembered when he had found her, how he had taken the initiative, and brought her to her knees. It was nice, and she would be lying if she said it wasn't unwelcome. The man beside her fought with everything, and was willing to give everything.

But she couldn't shake off what had happened just a few hours ago. She knew that he was dead on that roof, that was without question. Even if he wasn't stabbed through his head, the amount of blood on the roof would have meant that he had nothing left in his body. When she saw him pull the blades and debris from him, he had only looked at it a moment as if in surprise before he rose, going for Bulls Eye. Still though, she had enjoyed watching him carry the killer off, broken and babbling, to his boss to deliver his 'message'.

She took one of his hands in hers and squeezed, letting him know she was there. They would have to talk about this. In the morning, she decided. In the morning we are gonna talk, and he will answer.

Alpha was, for the first time in countless centuries, was unsure of herself. She had told Peter everything, where she had come from, where the symbiotes came from, everything. And yet, she had sensed his uneasiness. He was worried that she was lying to him. That she had held something back. She knew that over time, he would know that she had told him the truth. It would only be a little while longer until her being in his mind would feel like the most natural thing in the world. That he would seek her out for answers to questions, and just for some one to talk to. Now though, she needed to work off some stress.

She journeyed to the very back of his mind. She knew he would be there, he always was. He reminded her a little of Peter's boss, a man trapped in the glory days. With that attitude, combined with the egotistical mindset only a creature like him has, it only made sense that he acted the way he did. Still though, she enjoyed being able to, at least, make him happy for a few hours.

When she arrived, she was surrounded by black webbing, it was his way of marking his territory. She felt slightly bad at lying to Peter at how she had beaten the Other. Without his help, the creature would have destroyed her within seconds of her arrival. But he had hidden her away with him. The creature refused to wander this far. It held no power here, the man would have destroyed it the second it had set one claw here. So, she felt that she owed him something in return for protecting her.

She smiled as she noticed movement along the walls. This was one of his favorite games to play. Let her know that he knew she was there without actually letting her see him. She merely smiled and kept walking, tapping more into what he liked. She let her chest swell and her hips fill out, she had toned it down for Peter, but grew back here. He enjoyed her like this, and she enjoyed his attention. She was a woman after all.

She heard him land hard on the ground behind her and smiled widely. She turned to face him, and the smile turned to a grin. Like she had said before, Peter's Id was egotistical, and lived on power. So it was natural that he associated himself with power. He wore the suit her son had created for Peter. Jet black with lines of white, standing out over hard muscle that made her hands itch. "How have you been lover?"

He laughed then, a cackle that echoed throughout the room. The mask crawled back and revealed eyes wide with expectation. "Its been way too long Alpha," she smiled as he actually strutted over to her. He gave off an aloof air, and it always made her smile. He enjoyed power, and she was power incarnate. It was only natural that he had protected her when she first arrived. He had known what she was capable of, and he wanted to have her. On top of that, she was a warm, willing body to him. The thing that could scratch his constant itch.

"Yes it has lover," she always enjoyed the growl that he made whenever she called him lover. It was always a game. Who would be the winner, that was the interesting part. Sometimes her would win, other time, she would. She just needed to get some relief, so she wanted the game to start now. "I told him everything." His smile faltered for only a second before it was back.

"Even about little old me?" He raised a hand to his chest, and softened his eyes, trying to appear innocent, even though he was anything but. She knew what he wanted to hear, but she wouldn't give it to him just yet.

"Even you," she turned to walk away from him, and felt his anger seethe. He always hated it when she turned away from him. It made the game more fun when he was angry, he would try so much more harder to get her to bend to him. It was so much more relieving for both of them.

"Where do you think you're going Alpha?" She heard his voice in her ear, and had to suppress the groan. He was hard already, and even though he wouldn't admit it. He would be crushed if she left.

"Just getting the game started." She turned to face him, and smiled as the mask crawled back over his face.

"I'll count to ten this time," he stepped back, and laughed. "But when I catch you, know that you'll be crawling away from here after I'm done with you." She laughed and waked away slowly then. Enjoying listening to him count out in a sing-song voice. She wasn't really in the mood to run tonight. She needed something to relieve the tension, and Peter's ego was going to take care of that just fine.

Again, sorry about not getting the updates posted sooner. Like I said, this story is almost over, maybe two chapters left. After that, I will be working on some other stories, and want to know if you all want to read a sequel to 'Starting Over'. As always, reviews are welcome. Til the next posting.

Take It Easy,

-N